It would serve no purpose for me to post about the unrest, fear, or disappointment I feel about the results of this election.  It would serve no purpose to give my opinion about our now President.  What is done is now in the history books.  But, where do “We the People” go form here?  And yes I mean all of us on both sides of this wall.  Not the wall that Trump wishes to build. The wall that existed in this nation before this disgusting campaign started.  The wall that got new mortar and a facelift due to the platform this campaign gave it.

Continue reading “12 Things You Can Do to Begin the Healing After this Disgusting Campaign”

REPOSTED FROM MAY 2015…Sadly even more relevant a year later.

And, sometimes it is.

I had said that I was unsure how the topics of this blog would unfold.  I surely did not think I would be writing about race this soon into starting this platform.  Baltimore is my hometown and I feel compelled to touch on the controversial topic because of that.  Well, to be a little more transparent, it is a topic that has affected my life and my being in profound ways so without a doubt this will not be the last time you hear from me about it.  And, I think, so much of it is in fact BLACK vs WHITE. Continue reading “Sometimes It’s Not So Black and White”

…Even in front of their kids.

I recently had to take a trip to Ireland for business.  Now, I am a guy that hates leaving his family on a daily basis. I miss them.  I worry about them.  I often find myself wishing I didn’t have to work, but feeling grateful that I can provide and that my clients believe enough in me to do the important work.  Any Dad that loves their family the way I do, understands the balancing act and all the thoughts that go with it.

When I have to leave for 1 or 2 nights for a domestic business trip it pains me.  But, leaving for an international trip is gut wrenching.  I cry, my wife cries, and my boys beg me to stay home and say “no planes Daddy.”  I balled like a baby walking out of my house on my way to Ireland…and half way to the airport. Continue reading “Real Men DO Cry…”

A five year old is in critical condition after a hit and run.

My client had a 20 yr old intern.  He attended his funeral this past week.  He was hit by a car.

Another Maryland police officer is dead after a senseless act of crime.

A longtime family friend’s wife, 37 years old, just underwent emergency surgery, and found out she was riddled with cancer.

These are real scenarios that I have heard about in the last 48 hours.  I am sure you could add to this list of similar scenarios…as could I. Continue reading “Today?”

Terrorism.  I am not dismissing international terrorism.  How could I?  The heaviness of it.  The loss of life.  The injustice.  The deep sense of fear it instill in most of us.  The anger.  The sadness. The feeling of helplessness.

However, in the last week the alerts on my phone, the news, the regular shows being disrupted, and the radio have been dominated by terrorism.  Domestic terrorism.  In our own backyards.  Committed by our neighbors.  And in my mind, they create all the above emotions.  Perhaps tenfold as we try to wrap our heads around what is going on in our country.  That is if we have not become numb to it or  accepting these happenings as the norm. Can you actually name all the mass shootings that have happened in the past year?  I can’t but there was a time that I could.  A time that I miss.  That I long for.  A time that I surely would have held my wife and kids tighter but not as tight as I want to hold them right now.  It has gotten out of control.

It sounds cheap to say, my thoughts and prayers are with the families affected in just the last week by the two shootings….and all of these tradgedies.  But they are.  As I write this and break a major rule I have for myself and my family…being present…I am trying to concentrate while I listen two my two beautiful sons “be brothers”.  I would not normally do this (step into my den during family time) but I refuse to render myself or you helpless, because I have to protect them in anyway I can. Continue reading “Terror! Feeling Helpless. We are Not.”

…and reflect on a few lessons learned since the inception of my blog.

Many Requests…Many Fears…17 Years.  It’s Time!

That was the title of my first post.  I was nervous.  Would anyone want to read this stuff?  I was surely going to alert people, some of who I didn’t even know, about the inner workings of my being, my insecurtites, my story, and my view on life and leadership.  And, that was unnerving to say the least.  I said to my wife, “It would be cool if one day I had 100 people plugged in.”   Well, this is my 20th post and some folks have plugged in…blog stats from today. Continue reading “Stopping to Smell The Roses…”